Snowfall
by Digital Phoenix
Summary: [AxelTifa] On a peaceful winter's night, their searches were over.


A/N: Here I am again. This time, it's a fluffy winter story for Lilac Phoenix. :D Get yourself a mug of hot cocoa, settle down next to the fireplace, and enjoy the story. R&R please constructive criticism more than welcome. I want to know how I can improve my writing.

Latest Updates: Repasted it on MS Word and corrected all grammatical and spelling errors.

Snowfall

_I stand beneath the rolling clouds,_

_I stand under the immense sky._

For the first time in Radiant Garden, it was snowing. The evening sky was a calm shade of grey, the horizon lit with a conflagration of colors. Peals of childish laughter rang like tiny bells in her ears as she sat on the snowed steps, enjoying the breeze. She remembered the events of the past year, where she went searching for Cloud, hoping to deliver him from the grasp of darkness. Success was bittersweet, for now he was somewhere else with Aerith. He was somewhere far away from here. It had been a lonely year for her. She remembered that on Valentine's, she had bought a pretty red rose for herself. She put it in a vase, and within days it had wilted. She was happy for Cloud, but wished somehow, that love would pay her a visit too.

_That feeling I had vanished when you left me._

She still loved him as a friend. Sure, Cloud was gone from her life now, but she still felt snug and warm here, and when winter came, the entire town of Radiant Garden seemed cozier than before. It was December and the streets were carpeted in ivory. There were the occasional crunches of boots on snow as the children flung snowballs at each other, giggling incessantly. Strings of colored lights were draped across the rooftops, and the soft carols played from each home, and she could smell the mouthwatering scent of roast chicken.

Tifa Lockheart gave herself a private smile, enjoying the peaceful aura that lingered in the town.

The air was pleasantly cool, and snowflakes drifted onto her hair. Tifa wrapped her scarf back around her neck and gave a sigh of content, before getting up from where she sat and heading home. Her house was a cozy cottage at the edge of town, facing a small grove of pines just opposite from the dark depths. She had taken the liberty to drape the trees with lights, and to paint frosty designs on her windows. Her front yard was piled with snow, but it all made the ethereal environment become entirely like a dream. It was a fantasy, in which she lived.

As she trudged along the snowy pathway, she greeted Leon and Yuffie, who were obviously headed back for dinner at Merlin's House. They were the only two she knew well, besides Cid, who still resided here along with Merlin. They took care of the town well. She had intended to travel back to the world, from which she came, but she was emotionally attached to Radiant Garden, and so she stayed. It had also been a year since she had seen Sora, Riku or Kairi. She knew they were back at the Destiny Islands now, enjoying life again. She grinned as she imagined them playing in the sand. But she liked the snow so much better.

Night had already descended by the time her home was in sight. The sky was beautifully dark, and the stars twinkled like forgotten diamonds. The entire town seemed like a painting. The multi-colored lights she had hung in the pine grove flashed in unison, as if welcoming her back. It was then she noticed a figure huddled in front of the wooden gate near her cottage, obviously shivering. The figure's head was covered by a hood, and his arms were wrapped around his knees, obviously an attempt to fend off the cold. He looked familiar somehow. She couldn't place him, but she couldn't just leave him suffering outside.

_It's been a long time coming._

Walking towards the figure, she crouched down in front of him and asked in the kindest tone she could muster,

"Are you all right?"

There was no answer, but there was a sharp intake of breath, and more shivering. He wore gloves, but Tifa could see the bare skin of his wrist underneath the large sleeve openings of his coat. Taking off her own winter mittens, she placed her hand on his wrist, and was appalled to find that it was icy cold. He needed to get indoors. The martial artist stood up and dusted the snowflakes off her lap, before reaching out a hand to help the man up. He took her hand, and struggled to get to his feet.

"Kingdom Hearts...was completed."

A voice murmured. A breath caught in Tifa's throat as memories of the previous year's saga came back to her. Sora had told her the entire story of Kingdom Hearts. How there was a group, the Organization, who wanted their hearts returned. The only thing they yearned for. They had finally found a way, it seemed. The matters had been solved with a peaceful resolution. The worlds were at peace now. She took off her woolen jacket and put it around him, leading him through her gate to the front door of her cottage.

Once inside, she closed and bolted the door, before lighting the fireplace. The fire started to crackle, and she could sense a small smirk from the man as he saw the fire spring to life. She wiped her hands on a nearby piece of cloth before she hurried into the kitchen. There was the sound of clanging pots and pans, before she returned holding two mugs of hot cocoa. Setting one mug in front of him, she reached for his hood to pull it down. But once it was that sense of familiarity struck her full force.

_"Who are you?"_

_"I'm someone searching."_

_"Searching for what?"_

"For something I'm missing."

_The man disappeared into the portal, leaving a stunned Tifa standing alone on the sand._

That was the day she had traveled to the Destiny Islands to ask the islanders if they had seen Cloud. None of them had, and her last resort had been a lone redhead, dressed in a black coat, wandering the shore aimlessly, as if contemplating something. When he spoke, she heard emotion, but it seemed pretense to her. Tifa and the man had conversed for an hour, speaking about things that even their friends did not know. Then he left her, after answering her cryptic question. Then Sora told her about the nobodies, and instantly she knew what he was thinking. She could somehow sense the pain that he was feeling. She felt like she knew him. No, she knew him completely. And now, here he was, seated in front of her. How he got here, she didn't know.

"It's you." She murmured.

He smirked, shaking the snow out of his spiky red locks. He still looked the same from that day at the beach. But something was different. "Thanks for the cocoa," He stated, before reaching for the mug and sipping it. Instantly she could see that he wasn't shivering as much now. She offered to get him a blanket, but he declined. "I'm fine, because of your hospitality." He said. She nodded meekly and sat next to him on the comfy sofa, removing her scarf and the vest she wore. Stretching out fully, Tifa sighed.

"You know, I never thought I'd see you again." She started, and paused, her mind wandering to a random thought. "It's been a year since Cloud left. I found him, and then he just left. Just like that. He left without even saying goodbye."

"He's gone to make his own life somewhere else. Everyone wants to start anew."

The redhead said quietly. Tifa felt a pang somewhere with the reaches of her soul. She knew she was conversing with a member of the Organization, but from what Sora had told her, he was no longer accepted in their ranks. It didn't matter now. If what he had said was true, then...how could it be? From Sora's words, he had said that _he_ had faded away, after helping them defeat the nobodies in the mysterious passage of Betwixt and Between. Why was he back? She wanted so very badly to ask him. But then she recalled one of Ansem's last records.

_"Nobodies are doomed to fade away into darkness. But those spirits remain, the strong and virtuous, will not die. They will never completely fade, because they atoned for their sins. They can start anew. Kingdom Hearts knows this. We all know this."_

Tifa understood.

"You returned from the darkness."

She mused, her attention diverted to one of the nearby walls, which had one of Namine's sketches tacked on it. Sora had given it to Tifa as a farewell gift. It depicted two nobodies. There was one with spiky red hair, and another who looked just like Sora. They had their gazes pinned to the sky, where a crystal-like heart was floating, sparkling and shimmering. She had never really comprehended the true meaning of that drawing. How could people survive without hearts? How could they survive without feeling? Then they were just as good as empty.

She felt for him. The snow cascaded gently down outside the window. A lazy silence hung in the warm air.

Then she turned her head, leaned forward, and kissed him gently on the lips. "You don't have to suffer this alone," she whispered. He lowered his head, locks of hair falling onto his brilliant pair of emerald eyes. Those beautiful eyes turned to her and with a small smile, he captured her lips in his, his gentle grip on her waist. Her hands latched on to his shoulders as she pulled away. "Is this real? We barely know each other." Tifa whispered softly, her eyes shining with hope of a new possibility since Cloud's departure. "I don't even know your name, even though we talked on that beach for..._eternity_." He smiled at her, a genuine smile, which surprised the martial artist.

"It's Axel."

He said softly, before planting a trail of feather light kisses down her neck and onto her collarbone. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation, not making a sound. From what she'd heard, Axel was sarcastic, unfeeling. He had even kidnapped Kairi. Was this really that Axel, or just the mysterious man she met on the beach? But she believed he had changed now. Something told her. It was her own intuition, and her own intuition had never failed her once. Perhaps it had been wrong with Cloud, but it felt different now.

Tifa allowed him to pull her sweater off her head, followed by her pants, which were both thrown on the floor. His warm breath prickled her exposed skin, but she refused to let it get to her. In fact, she had never allowed anyone to do this before, not even Cloud. She had felt safe with Cloud, but she felt protected now. Maybe it was just the fact that she had someone to love again. But was it love? Did Axel have any feelings? Or was everything he had said pretense? She wanted to believe it. But for now, she would just let him take her wherever he wanted to go. Safe in the comfort of her cottage, and with the calming presence of the snow outside, she felt at home.

He slipped off his coat and tossed it away, and she reached for his trousers and undid them, and they pooled on the ground next to the sofa. The fire that was burning in the fireplace crackled and seethed. The sound was soothing to her nerves. Although she knew that she had to preserve herself, she wanted to give it all to him. She wanted to give it, even though he was a previous stranger whom she had talked to on a beach, and whom she had found shivering in the cold outside her cottage.

He touched her face gently, and their lips joined. The resulting sensation was like a touch of heat. Burning, searing its way to her core. She whispered his name softly as he caressed her bare skin, wanting this to last. Nothing lasted in this fragile world. The least they could do was to enjoy everything before it all vanished. She believed in this, and with the last doubt erased, she arched into his touch, serenaded by the chirping of the crickets in the pine grove. The room was dimly lit, and the lights outside the cottage shone brightly, illuminating faintly the shadows of the couple romancing in the dark. The embrace of night covered them both, and wrapped the cottage in snow.

_I love you, a stranger outside my door._

Lovingly, he parted her brunette locks to stare into her eyes. And just by that stare, they shared their past lives. As he stroked her gently, making her moan softly at his touch, he told her stories, about how he used to be someone that everyone hated. He had felt alone for most of his life, even after the heartless had claimed his heart. But he told her, as she whispered his name that it was all over now. She smiled a fragile smile. Her lips moved, and all he could hear were those words she whispered.

_Take me away._

He breathed in, asking her if she really wanted this. She nodded absently, her mind floating in a dream. This was an illusion. Was he just an illusion? Her thoughts drifted away on silver wings as he entered her gently, and she felt a slight pain, but Tifa was strong. The pain slipped away, and soon he filled her completely. Inside the tight warmth of the room, her cries echoed, strung together with the crackling of the fire as he started a rhythm that made her pulse soar. She stroked his back, encouraging him with words of adoration, affectionate terms which reminded him that he was not alone. She held tight to him as his pace increased, and tears of ecstasy swam into her vision, flowing down her cheeks. She felt his warm lips as they kissed the tears away. Finally, she came with a soft groan, and he shortly after.

In the afterglow, there was silence shared. There were no words. They needed no words. One was lonely, one was searching. Both came together as one, and both found what they were looking for. As the fire faded slowly, she kissed the nape of his neck, and reached down under the sofa and pulled a soft blanket over their forms. Then, as he held her tightly in his embrace, and as her head rested against his chest, she heard something that told her that her doubts were over, and everything he told her had been more than true. As she listened, she heard something more than just his breathing, something there that told her she had finally found love.

She heard the steady beating of a heart.


End file.
